Meet: Gary and Jane, and their sons Matt and Pat. They are a farm family in Minnesota, near a town with a population less than 1,000. Gary and Jane started their farm together with just 12 pigs and now, with their sons, they raise pigs, corn and soybeans. This family has been a supplier to Hormel Foods for over 60 years.

“I feel that it is probably one of the most important vocations you can have in life,” Jane explained about being a farmer. “I think the family farm is the backbone of what agriculture is and what I want agriculture to be.”

The family has been recognized for their work and has been named Farm Family of the Year by both local and state pork organizations, and all of their children have served as local pork ambassadors, telling the story of how their family raises pigs.

I think the family farm is the backbone of what agriculture is and what I want agriculture to be.

Jane

“Their strong work ethic is reflected in the entire family’s involvement in learning, growing and offering support to other farm businesses in their community and internationally,” stated a local newspaper after the family was recognized.

This family has hosted groups from Denmark, Japan, Germany and Mexico to tour their farm and to learn from their example, and Gary has even traveled to Denmark to share the family’s story.

Gary and Jane and their family are an inspiring example of what it means to be stewards of the earth while feeding the world, and Pat, one of Gary and Jane’s sons, reminded us, “There are thousands of families like us across the country that do what we do every day.”